Southill was a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

on the Bedford to Hitchin Line which served the village of Southill in

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

, England. Opened in 1857, it gave more than a century of service before closing in 1962.

History

Southill station was opened by the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

in 1857 as part of its new line from Leicester to Hitchin via

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

, enabling it to reach London King's Cross station by having running powers over Great Northern Railway metals from Hitchin southwards. However, the Midland Railway's own direct route to London St. Pancras station from

via

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable a ...

(today's

Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands ...

), opened in 1868, relegated the Bedford to Hitchin section to mere branch status. Passenger traffic over this section fell to minimal and services were reduced to a shuttle by 1880. The section between Southill and Shefford was the only part to remain double-tracked after 1911. The station was convenient for Southill Park, the seat of the Whitbread family who had supported and brought their influence to bear on the realisation of the line. On 3 June 1890 a new signal box was opened at Southill as part of the introduction of block telegraph working between the station and the Midland Goods Yard at Hitchin. The inter-war years saw a decline in traffic with the introduction of buses between Bedford and Hitchin. Traffic picked up again during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

when troop specials were run to enable conscripts to return home from the RAF camps at Cardington and

Henlow Henlow is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England, about south-east of the county town of Bedford. The name Henlow is believed to derive from the old English ''henna hlaw'', meaning ...

. The introduction of

railbuses A railbus is a lightweight passenger railcar that shares many aspects of its construction with a bus, typically having a bus (original or modified) body and four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies. Originally designed and developed ...

after the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

did little to improve traffic, and the line closed in 1962.

Stationmasters

*James Boaden ca. 1859 ca. 1866 *William May until 1872 *G. Clarke 1872 - 1873 *Joseph Cherry from 1873 - 1890 *Frederick Brooks 1890 - 1898 (afterwards station master at Flitwick) *Edward Arnold 1898 - ca. 1908 *Frank G. Sugars 1909 - 1921 (also station master at Shefford, afterwards station master at Pye Bridge) *Alfred Ballard 1921 - 1930 (formerly station master at Old Dalby, also station master at Shefford)

Present day

The station building has been converted into a private residence. The ticket window remains, as does the platform area, sidings and cattle pen which have been incorporated into the garden. Not far from the station in Southill Park is a stone obelisk erected in 1864 in honour of William Henry Whitbread whose influence and energy helped bring about the Bedford to Hitchin line.Oppitz, L., p. 138-139.

References

External links

*
Southill station on a 1946 O.S. map
{{Closed stations Bedfordshire Disused railway stations in Bedfordshire Former Midland Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1857 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1962 1857 establishments in England Charles Henry Driver railway stations